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Taking control of your children’s Social Anxiety

It can be a challenge to determine whether a child is an introvert by nature or has developed fears around social interactions. Empowering you as a parent to know what to look for and how to effectively manage anxiety will bring back your family’s harmony.

Have you ever had your child dig their heels in at a party, and you feel like you’ve got to drag them in?

Has your daughter had a meltdown the night before her class speech or the school dance?

Is your son too afraid to put their hand up and ask the teacher for help?

Imagine your child telling you how their day was, and hearing they sat on their own at lunchtime, or just wandered around the playground.

When you’ve arrived at a friend’s house, does your daughter cling to you and refuse to play with the other children?

Does your son yell or hit you when you speak to them firmly in front of other people?

Many parents we come across in the Hills describe their children as ‘shy’. Children will often go through a ‘shy or bashful’ phase as a normal part of their development, however when this shyness gets traction it can interfere with their social development. As a parent, this is the time to act.

Understanding Social Anxiety in children

Ask your child, what is it that they are worrying about? When socially anxious –

They will experience an intense fear of being judged negatively by others

They exaggerate the severity of the outcome

They are scared of the intense feelings of anxiety

Consequently, children will do whatever they can to avoid that anxious feeling.

Post navigation

Taking control of your children’s Social Anxiety

It can be a challenge to determine whether a child is an introvert by nature or has developed fears around social interactions. Empowering you as a parent to know what to look for and how to effectively manage anxiety will bring back your family’s harmony.

Have you ever had your child dig their heels in at a party, and you feel like you’ve got to drag them in?

Has your daughter had a meltdown the night before her class speech or the school dance?

Is your son too afraid to put their hand up and ask the teacher for help?

Imagine your child telling you how their day was, and hearing they sat on their own at lunchtime, or just wandered around the playground.

When you’ve arrived at a friend’s house, does your daughter cling to you and refuse to play with the other children?

Does your son yell or hit you when you speak to them firmly in front of other people?

Many parents we come across in the Hills describe their children as ‘shy’. Children will often go through a ‘shy or bashful’ phase as a normal part of their development, however when this shyness gets traction it can interfere with their social development. As a parent, this is the time to act.

Understanding Social Anxiety in children

Ask your child, what is it that they are worrying about? When socially anxious –

They will experience an intense fear of being judged negatively by others

They exaggerate the severity of the outcome

They are scared of the intense feelings of anxiety

Consequently, children will do whatever they can to avoid that anxious feeling.